Monday, May 28, 2018

Monday afternoon, Sharon, Jack and I went to see Solo: A Star Wars Story at the Century Arden 14 and XD. Set prior to the events of A New Hope, the film explores the early adventures of Han Solo and Chewbacca. It is the second of the Star Wars anthology films following 2016's Rogue One.

The film stars Alden Ehrenreich as Solo, alongside Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke [Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones] and Donald Glover. I was pleasantly surprised to see Woody Harrelson in so much of the movie. The film was directed by Ron Howard.

I enjoyed the film. In spite of its sorted history, the movie slightly exceeded my expectations. It was a solid movie. As we were fixing dinner, Sharon said "I give the movie a 9!"

We finished the day watching the Warriors defeat the Rockets in game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Missing 27 straight three points shots at one point, the Rockets finished 7 for 44 (16%) from three. The Warriors won the game by the score of 101 to 92. This is the first time that there have been game sevens in both the Eastern and Western conference finals since 1979.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

With Jack home for a couple of weeks, Sharon and I decided to host a Memorial Day weekend barbecue. I don't think that we have ever done a family function on Memorial Day weekend. In addition to Sharon, Jack and I, the group included Timmy and Kathy, Eileen and Will, Erin and Cormac, Kevin, Leah and Lydia, Brun and Kim, and Janie. We barbecued hamburgers and corn. We also had green salad, potato salad and macaroni salad.

After dinner, the group watched a film that Brun et al made in the 1970s.

We finished the evening watching the Cavs beat the Celtics in Boston in game seven of the Eastern Conference NBA finals. On LeBron's back, the Cavs won the game by the score of 87 to 79.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Red Sparrow as a HD rental on the AppleTv. While we were turning on the AppleTv to watch the last episode of the season two of The Crown on Friday night, Sharon saw the movie and latched on to the idea of watching it. She also saw a trailer for it in the theater earlier this year.

The film stars Jennifer Lawrence. The cast includes Mary-Louise Parker and Jeremy Irons.

Red Sparrow is a 2018 American spy thriller film. It is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Jason Matthews. It tells the story of a Russian intelligence officer [Lawrence] who is sent to make contact with a CIA agent in the hope of discovering the identity of a mole. The plot leans heavily on the Soviet use of "sexpionage" and kompromat.

Friday, May 25, 2018

The show is a biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The second season covers the period from the Suez Crisis in 1956 through the retirement of the Queen's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 to the birth of Prince Edward in 1964.

Sharon and I enjoyed the series. I recommend it. Unfortunately, season three is scheduled to be released in 2019!

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

The first freshman pitcher to start a Jesuit High School playoff game, Anthony Susac delivered a 1-0 victory over Franklin.

May 19, 2018 04:44 PMUpdated May 19, 2018 05:59 PM

The playoff pressure cooker here has devoured many a good pitcher over the years – aces chased off the mound amid a flurry of base hits and sagging confidence.

So imagine the varied emotions when Jesuit High School trotted out Anthony Susac on Saturday afternoon at Union Stadium to face a team that just beat the Marauders twice down the stretch of the Delta League season.

The freshman is so new to the varsity scene that his jersey number wasn't included on the game program.

Carter Benbrook drove in Daniel Susac with a base hit in the top of the first inning, and Daniel's cousin Anthony outdueled Franklin's Grant Stevens from there.

At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Anthony Susac doesn't look the part of a freshman. Nicknamed "Tonko," he struck out seven in the first three innings and finished with 10 in 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits. It was Susac's second varsity outing. He allowed one earned run in a 6-2 victory over Vacaville on May 5 in a nonleague game.

It was the first time coach Joe Potulny, at the Marauders helm since 1993, ever started a freshman pitcher, never mind in a playoff game. Adding to the intrigue, Susac is a big name at Jesuit.

Andrew Susac, Daniel's older brother, was a Marauders star 10 years ago and is a catcher with the Baltimore Orioles. Daniel and Anthony have been batterymates their entire baseball lives, including Saturday in the biggest outing of their young careers.

Daniel, a sophomore, holds the distinction as the first freshman Potulny called up to varsity. The only four-year varsity player in the history of the program, dating to 1963, is Phil Cantelme in the late 1970s. He's a longtime Jesuit assistant.

"I may have to cut Daniel so Phil can remain the only four-year varsity guy," Potulny said with a laugh. The coach exhaled while sizing up the impact of all the Susacs who have marched through.

"The Susac family," Potulny said, "is not a normal family. Great people, great athletes, all so mentally strong. And the kid today was impressive."

Susac went 7-0, struck out more than 100 and held a sub-1.00 ERA on the freshman team this season, Jesuit freshman coach Ken Ramos said. He struck out 17 in one game and 15 in another. How inhumane that must have been for those freshman batters.

"I kept telling Potulny that Andrew was ready for varsity, and what a joy of a kid to coach," Ramos said. "He was like our secret weapon for varsity in the playoffs, our 'Lincecum Ninja.' Wow."

Susac congratulated teammates after stellar defensive plays, and he tipped his hat to his defense when he left after his 110th pitch, the maximum allowed at this level. He was embraced by coaches and teammates before he got to the dugout. There was a sense that Susac dominance might become something of the norm.

"He put in a great effort," said Jesuit's Benbrook. "We needed him step up, and he did. He's old for his age, like a fourth-year varsity guy and not a guy in just his second varsity game."

"I'm always a little nervous taking the mound, but it shows you care," said Susac. "They rolled the dice on me in letting me start. They trusted me, and I couldn't ask for anything more. My team played great behind me. The guys respected me, and they don't treat me like a freshman, and I like pressure. I love it."

The only anxious Susac here was John Susac, father of Anthony. He's an assistant coach, and he paced liked an expectant father. He was still jittery well after the game.

"Anthony was great – so proud," John said. "I couldn't predict how he'd do, but I did know he'd handle it. He had no choice to handle the pressure, and he did. I was worse than he was – nervous."

Luke Wolger and Luke Williams cleaned up in relief of Susac for Jesuit (22-9). Williams struck out two in the bottom of the seventh to deny Franklin (23-7).

Jesuit inched a step closer to its sixth section championship since 1994 and its first since repeating in 2009 when Andrew Susac stormed onto the scene as a dominant catcher and team leader.

A Delta League team has won the section D-I title five consecutive seasons and 14 times since 2000. Franklin drops into the loser's bracket that starts Tuesday at Sac City.

On June 30, 1864, in an act signed by President Abraham Lincoln, the United States granted the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Big Tree Grove to the State of California to 'be held for public use, resort, and recreation . . . inalienable for all time.' This, the first federal authorization to preserve scenic and scientific values for public benefit, was the basis for the later concept of state and national park systems. In 1906 the State of California returned the land, considered the first state park in the country, so that it could become part of Yosemite National Park.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Although my alarm went off at 6:30 am, it took me until after 7:00 am to get everyone up and moving. We packed up the room and loaded up the car. After checking out, we grabbed some breakfast burritos and sandwiches at the store in the main lodge.

Heading back to Yosemite Valley, we parked at the Ahwahee Hotel. Unlike Saturday afternoon, there was lots of parking!

The plan for the day was to ride bikes around the valley. We brought three bikes with us. It took me a while to unload all of the bikes and get everything put together. It was about 9:30 am when we hit the trail.

After the hike, we biked back to the Ahwahnee. We were able to get a nice table outside for a late lunch. Sharon and I had taco salads, while Jack had lamb chops.

We left the valley about 2:00 pm. It was an easy drive back to Carmichael. With a quick stop for gas, we were home a little before 6:00 pm. It was a great gateway. Sharon and I both enjoyed having a chance to spend some time with Jack!

Saturday, May 19, 2018

I set an alarm for 6:30 am. We were up and moving pretty quickly. We had breakfast in the restaurant (pancakes!). We were on the road to the Yosemite Valley a little after 8:00 am. It was about a 35 minute drive from the hotel into the valley.

On the way up, we hiked the Mist Trail. The section below Vernal Falls was very wet. After some debate about continuing to Little Yosemite Valley, we stopped and had lunch at the top of Nevada Falls. Jack and I both would have liked to go a little further. After lunch, we hiked down the John Muir Trail. In total, we covered about 9.5 miles in just over five hours. A map of the hike is here.

Given that it has been twenty years since I did this hike, I was surprised by a couple of things. When we did the hike before, we went up the John Muir Trail and down the Mist Trail. I had forgotten how steep the sections just below both Vernal and Nevada Falls are. For some reason, I remembered the steel staircase as being at Nevada Falls rather than Vernal Falls. Finally, I remembered the exposed section on the John Muir Trail as further down from Nevada Falls.

As we got back to the car, it was amazing how many people were on the lower section of the trail. Additionally, there were lots of cars circling the parking lot looking for a spot.

Once we got packed up, Sharon wanted to head to the Ahwahnee Hotel for an adult beverage. There were people everywhere. I circled the lot while Sharon went in to get a table. I eventually tried to get the car valeted parked, but they would only take hotel guests. We eventually gave up and headed back to the Rush Creek Lodge.

After getting cleaned up, we went to a beer tasting that the lodge was holding. They poured a selection of California beers. In addition to the three of us, there was a family from England.

We had dinner again in the Tavern. I had a Greek Salad and a Mushroom Flatbread, while Sharon and Jack both had burgers.

We finished the night with a couple games of darts and tabletop hockey and smores. I like the hotel. I just wish it was just a little closer to Yosemite Valley...

Sharon, Jack and I took off from Carmichael about 1:30 pm. With a quick stop for gas, we got to the Rush Creek Lodge by 4:30 pm. Waze took us via Highway 99 to Highway 4 and through Copperopolis to Highway 120.

The Rush Creek Lodge is new. It opened in June 2016. The lodge is located just a mile outside the Yosemite North Gate on Highway 120.

After getting settled in the room, we relaxed and played a couple of games of cribbage. We eventually wandered to an early dinner in the Tavern. Jack had a Trout BLT, Sharon had salmon and I had Chicken Curry.

The lodge is set up with lots of activities and a big game room. We ended up playing three games of electronic darts after dinner. We finished the night with a trip to the hot tub.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

A system-wide failure is causing problems at Sutter Health locations, a spokesman for Sutter Health Valley Area said.

Throughout the morning, employees have been unable to access patients’ electronic health records, emails and use the phones, Gary Zavoral confirmed. Some patients are being contacted to reschedule appointments.

The root of electronic failure has been linked to “the activation of the fire suppression system in one of our information services buildings,” Zavoral said. He did not immediately have more details about the incident.

Local facilities impacted include the Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, as well as clinics in Roseville and Davis. Patients are being asked to reschedule nonemergency surgeries and lab testing. Zavoral did not know how many people were affected.

Those who have not been contacted by a Sutter facility about their appointment should arrive as planned.

“Any type of emergency services, patient care, (there’s the) same quality as usual,” he said. “They have a backup procedure when their system goes down.”

Patients of the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation clinics in Modesto also reported not being able to schedule appointments with doctors and being told to call back in two hours, per The Modesto Bee.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

After work, Sharon and I headed to GolfTec on Tuesday night. This is my fourth lesson. Talking about my experiences playing Ancil Hoffman, we ended up working on pitching and chipping for the whole lesson. I was chipping the ball into a screen and then a monitor would show where the ball ended up on the green.

The lessons are doing me some good. I feel like I am striking the ball much better...

This building is located at 128 West 44th Street, New York, New York. The GPS coordinates for this location are 40° 45' 23.9" N 73° 59' 04.1" W.

The Lambs Club, a private social group that presented plays and satirical theatrical revues, built this clubhouse in 1904-05. The Eastern half of the this fine Neo-Georgina style building was designed by the prominent architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, whose senior partners were club members. Architect George A. Freeman, Jr., was responsible for adding the Western half in a seamless ca. 1915 addition that displays similar brickwork, marble, terra cotta, and classical ornament. Sold in 1975, the former clubhouse has subsequently been used as an off-broadway theater and church. The building was renovated and converted into a hotel in 2010.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

After getting cleaned up, Sharon, Jack and I headed to Arden Hills for a Mother's Day brunch. I am not sure exactly what I expected, but this event exceeded my expectations. They set up a very nice buffet in one of the banquet rooms. The room was nicely decorated. If we keep the club membership, this is an event that I would consider doing again; Sharon and I talked about going for Father's Day.

After brunch, we headed to the St. Mary's cemetery to put some flowers on Sharon's mom's grave. I was surprised at the number of people at the cemetery. Lots of people leaving flowers and even some large groups picnicking.

In the late afternoon, we planted some additional plants in the front of the house. We finished the day with barbecued steaks and corn and green beans.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

With his last final on Friday, Jack spent the morning scrambling to get his stuff packed and into storage. He caught an Uber to BWI. For future reference, the travel time was one hour and seven minutes. Jack boarded a 2:50 pm nonstop Southwest flight to Sacramento. Unfortunately, they were missing the pilots... As a result, the plane sat on the ground for about 45 minutes. He finally got to Sacramento just about 6:00 pm. Sharon and I met him at the train in the new terminal.

Jack has finished his second year at Georgetown University! It is hard to believe.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Sharon and I finished the week with an early dinner at Cafe Bernardo at Pavilions. After splitting a Mushroom & Jarlesberg Cheese salad, we both had an Ahi Tuna special paired with a nice Navarro Vineyards 2016 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.

About one half of the 500 page book deals with Johnson's bitterly contested 1948 Democratic primary for the Texas U.S. Senate seat against Coke R. Stevenson. Several chapters provide a fairly comprehensive biography of Stevenson. Stevenson is portrayed as an honorable statesman and reluctant office-seeker, in contrast to the venal and intensely ambitious Johnson.

Johnson's use of a helicopter to campaign in the primary is an interesting side note. The helicopter was a very new technology at the time and people flocked to see it.

With more than a million votes cast, Johnson won the 1948 election by 87 votes. The section covering the battle over the vote count is very good. The book covers the Box 13 scandal in astounding detail. The battle between Truman and Strom Thurmond for President played a role in ensuring that Johnson won the primary.

I enjoyed the book. I grade it an "A-." Like the first book, it paints a very unflattering picture of Lyndon Johnson.

Wednesday, May 09, 2018

Two years ago, Sharon bought me an Apple Watch for Father's Day. Although I had never worn a watch before, it quickly become a key part of my life. I am literally never without it. With the battery in the watch getting long in the tooth and the screen getting very beat up (cracked, but still functional), I decided to upgrade to an Apple Watch Series 3.

Monday, May 07, 2018

Sunday afternoon, Sharon and I played golf at Ancil Hoffman with the Sanborns. With the course hosting a tournament until 1:30 pm, we teed off at 1:48 pm. A twosome went off in front of us, but we essentially had an open course in front of us all afternoon.

I ended up shooting a liberally scored winter rules 111. I got in trouble on the back nine in the trees on 15 and 16. Still trying to incorporate the G0lfTec lessons into my swing, I feel like I am hitting the ball more consistently. In addition to the problems in the trees, I gave away a bunch of strokes chipping near the greens! The scorecard is here.

It took us about four hours and fifteen minutes to play eighteen holes. Although I didn't play that well, I really enjoyed the afternoon. We ran into our neighbor Mike working the cart barn at the turn and at the end of the day.

Sunday, May 06, 2018

Saturday night, Sharon and I went to our neighbors Greg and Mitchell's house to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The group included Mike and Jill, Jim and Debi, Greg and Mitchell, friends of the Greg and Mitchell (Mary Ann and ??) and us. Rod and Kathy stopped by after dinner.

The evening started with pickleball. There was an attempt at horseshoes. After dinner, there was music and dancing. It was after 11 pm by the time we walked home.

This National Historic Site is home to one of the largest restored heiau (temple) in Hawaii and is part of the National Park System. Heiau were sacred places of worship for Native Hawaiians, and Puukohola Heiau was a site built to fulfill a historic prophecy.

North Kohala-born Kamehameha the Great was advised by his kahuna (priest) to build and dedicate Puukohola Heiau to the war god Kukailimoku to help in his efforts to unite the Hawaiian Islands. The fortress-like heiau was constructed overlooking the Kohala Coast between 1790 and 1791. King Kamehameha ultimately fulfilled the kahuna’s prophecy when he united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810.

This massive stone temple was built without the use of mortar. It is also believed that the lava rocks used to build the structure were passed hand-by-hand in a human chain all the way from Pololu Valley, some 25 miles away. The 224 by 100-foot structure is surrounded by 16- to 20-foot walls and has been carefully preserved and restored. It is believed to be one of the last sacred structures built in the Hawaiian Islands before western influence. Puukohola, which means “hill of the whale” in Hawaiian.